Chapter 14
Elizabeth's POV
After I finished, Aiden handed me a tissue.
"Elizabeth, you're welcome to stay here and rest during your pregnancy, of course," he began, his tone carefully modulated. "But Grandma is getting on in years; she can't look after you personally. We should go home, okay?"
I dabbed at the corners of my mouth, then lifted my gaze to meet his, deliberately feigning confusion. "Aiden, what are you talking about? With all the staff in the house, I would never dream of letting Grandma take care of me."
As expected, he hadn't relinquished the idea of taking me with him. His persistence, however, was more tenacious than I had anticipated. My response left him momentarily speechless, a flicker of raw annoyance crossing his features before he smoothed it over, not daring to let his mask of solicitousness drop completely.
He manufactured an excuse and left the room.
The moment the door clicked shut, the disgust I had been holding back finally surfaced in my eyes, and a long, shuddering breath escaped me. I had won a reprieve, but it was just that—temporary. Aiden's attitude made it clear he wouldn't give up easily. Still, every day I could remain here was a small victory. For now, Smith Manor was the safest place for me.
Not long after, Aiden left, citing an urgent work matter.
That evening, Grandma summoned me downstairs for dinner.
At the long, polished dining table, she kept gesturing for the maids to fill my plate. I watched a small mountain of food accumulate in my bowl and, for some reason, found my thoughts drifting to Alex.
After he had taken me in, he had not only called for a doctor but had also hired a nutritionist to oversee my daily meals. It was a detail I hadn't let myself dwell on.
Since my escape, there had been a profound silence from his direction. A man of his stature, the head of the Windsor family, likely couldn't be bothered with the trivial matter of my whereabouts.
"Elizabeth, do you remember what next week is?"
Grandma's voice sliced through my reverie, pulling me back to the present. I looked at her, startled. The question hung in the air for a few seconds before the answer struck me with the force of a physical blow. "It's your birthday! Grandma!" I blurted out, the words tumbling from my lips.
The Smith family held a prominent position in the city, and Grandma's birthday gala was always a lavish affair, attended by the city's most influential figures. I recalled that in previous years, even the Windsors had sent a representative to offer their congratulations.
The realization hit me: at next week's party, there was a very real possibility I would encounter someone from the Windsor family again. While a man like Alexander, the true patriarch, would never attend personally, he would almost certainly dispatch a delegate. In a way, it might be the closest I could get to him.
"Grandma, I haven't even had time to prepare a gift for you," I said, looking at her with genuine shame. So much had happened recently that the date had completely slipped my mind. For her to be the one to bring it up left me feeling mortified.
"Silly child," she said, her hand closing gently over mine. Her voice was a soft, comforting balm. "Haven't you already given me the best gift of all?"
Her gaze drifted down to my stomach, and I understood immediately. I lowered my head, feigning a bashful blush.
After dinner, I was escorted back to my room. Lying in the plush bed, a sense of unreality washed over me. Smith Manor was a sanctuary, but only a temporary one. The idea of staying here, peacefully carrying this child to term, felt like a fragile dream that could shatter at any moment.
The next morning, after a light breakfast, I spent some time in the garden, letting the weak sunlight warm my skin. Then, I retreated to the privacy of my room and dialed a number I hadn't called in a long, long time.
The instant the call connected, a voice erupted from the other end, so excited it sounded like it was about to jump out of its skin.
"Elizabeth! Is that you, Elizabeth?"
"Julia, it's me." A genuine smile touched my lips at the familiar, effusive sound. A wave of warmth, a feeling of long-lost camaraderie, washed over me.
Julia's excitement was still bubbling over. "So? Are you finally coming back to design? Everyone here has been waiting for the queen to make her triumphant return!"
"I've had some inspiration lately," I said, my voice steady. "I want to design a set of jewelry."
Julia shrieked on the other end of the line. "Jewelry? For real? Can we get the rights for the studio?"
I demurred gently. "This set is for a gift."
Julia was silent for only a beat before her usual boundless enthusiasm returned. "That's fine! As long as you're willing to start designing again, that's all that matters!"
I smiled, my voice firm with a newfound conviction. "Yes. I'm ready to start again."
Her continued squeals of delight were infectious, and I found myself laughing along with her. During those years, I had foolishly believed my relationship with Aiden was perfect, and I had abandoned my passion for design. After my family's downfall, I had even less heart for it. It was Aiden's betrayal, ironically, that had forced a clarity upon me: in the end, you could only truly rely on yourself.
"Julia, I promise you, I will be back."
At my promise, her excited shrieks ceased, replaced by a serious tone. "Your pieces have always been bestsellers. We get DMs every single day asking when you're coming back. The famous designer 'S'… we're all waiting for you."
A thrill, sharp and potent, coursed through me at her words.
"Good. I'll get myself back in order as soon as I can. I can send you the design sketches tonight. Can you help me get it produced as quickly as possible?" I needed the finished piece before next week.
"Of course! Anything for you!"
Hanging up the phone, a measure of peace settled over me. Designing a set of jewelry for Grandma felt right—a small token of gratitude for the shelter she had offered.
Just then, my phone buzzed with a new message. I tapped the notification open. It was from Aiden.
[Have you thought about what to get Grandma? I could take you to the mall this afternoon to pick something out?]
I refused outright. Going to a mall alone with Aiden was far too risky. The moment I stepped outside the gates of Smith Manor, my safety was no longer guaranteed.
Unfazed, Aiden called me directly.
The instant I answered, a female voice, faint but unmistakably familiar, bled through the background noise. Bianca.
"Elizabeth, let's go pick out a gift together this afternoon," Aiden said, his tone infuriatingly casual.
For him to suggest such a thing at this moment, it was hard not to question his motives.
"I'm not feeling well," I replied coolly. "I don't want to go out."
A sudden, low grunt came from Aiden's end of the line, followed by a woman's whispered, breathy, "Don't..."
My brow furrowed, and a wave of nausea churned in my stomach. What was he doing? Was he calling me while he was with Bianca on purpose, just to torment me?
"Aiden, I trust your taste," I said, my voice tight. "You can pick something out. Besides, I've already commissioned a custom set of jewelry for Grandma."
"Jewelry? What kind of jewelry?" He asked, latching onto the keyword. "Elizabeth, what hasn't Grandma seen? If you give her some second-rate trinket, you'll only be embarrassing yourself."
"Don't worry," I said, a sharp edge to my voice. "I've commissioned a piece from the designer 'S'."
"The designer 'S'?"
This time, Bianca's voice came through clearly, no longer bothering with concealment.
A sudden flurry of panicked sounds erupted from the other end of the line—the muffled thumps and smothered protests of Aiden trying, and failing, to cover Bianca's mouth.
I fought back the bile rising in my throat and went on the offensive. "Is that Ms. Johnson? I think I hear her voice."
I could almost picture the chaotic scene on the other end, and a humorless smirk twisted my lips. Did they really think I was that much of a fool?
"Elizabeth, you must have misheard," Aiden insisted, his voice strained.
"Aiden, I heard her perfectly clearly," I said, my tone dripping with false sweetness while I mentally rolled my eyes. "I wouldn't be angry, even if you were with Ms. Johnson. But it hurts my feelings when you lie to me like this."
A few seconds of charged silence passed before Bianca's voice, now composed, came on the line. "Elizabeth, it's me. I just had to see Aiden about something. We weren't trying to hide it from you, we just didn't want you to misunderstand."
"I won't misunderstand," I stated flatly, making my position clear. "Since you two have things to discuss, I won't disturb you. I'm hanging up now."
"Wait, Elizabeth!" This time, it was Bianca who stopped me.